ANTH202Illness and HealingS2 Day 2019

Dept of Anthropology

ContentsGeneral Information 2

Learning Outcomes 3

Assessment Tasks 3

Delivery and Resources 7

Unit Schedule 8

Policies and Procedures 8

Graduate Capabilities 14

Detailed Unit Description 21

Macquarie University has taken all reasonablemeasures to ensure the information in thispublication is accurate and up-to-date. However,the information may change or become out-datedas a result of change in University policies,procedures or rules. The University reserves theright to make changes to any information in thispublication without notice. Users of thispublication are advised to check the websiteversion of this publication [or the relevant facultyor department] before acting on any information inthis publication.

Disclaimer

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 1

General InformationUnit convenor and teaching staffConvenorDr. Kevin P. Groarkkevin.groark@mq.edu.auContact via kevin.groark@mq.edu.auTBATo Be Announced (see iLearn)

TutorDr. Siobhan Irvingsiobhan.irving@mq.edu.auContact via siobhan.irving@mq.edu.auTBATo Be Announced or By Appointment

Credit points3

PrerequisitesANTH150 or (12cp at 100 level or above) or (admission to GDipArts or BHlth)

Corequisites

Co-badged status

Unit descriptionThis unit offers an introduction to medical anthropology and cross-cultural beliefs relating toillness and healing. In this unit, we examine health and illness from a multilevel perspectivethat explores the evolution of human disease, the role of culture in shaping epidemiology,varying cultural notions of disease causality, the individual experience of illness, and thesocio-political factors that condition our experience and management of negatively-valuedstates of health. Throughout, the unit emphasizes that good health - and conversely ill health -is never simply a “fact” about the body. Disease and illness have social as well as biologicalorigins, which means our understanding of this central fact of human life must incorporate notonly biological factors, but also the broader cultural frameworks that transform mere diseaseinto the culturally-specific experience of illness. Thus we treat healing practices — includingWestern biomedicine - as inevitably predicated upon cultural systems of understanding. Howpeople understand illness and where it comes from, and what they do about it when it doesoccur, tells us a lot about how different societies understand people, bodies, and theenvironmental surround.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 2

Important Academic DatesInformation about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units areavailable at https://students.mq.edu.au/important-dates

Learning OutcomesOn successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment TasksName Weighting Hurdle Due

Tutorial Participation 20% No Weekly

"Illness Narrative" Essay 30% No 13 October

Mid-Term Exam 25% No 13-14 Sep

Final Exam 25% No 8-9 November

Tutorial ParticipationDue: WeeklyWeighting: 20%

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 3

Each student is expected to actively participate in the tutorial discussion. Tutorial participation ismandatory. Participation in lectures and tutorials involves more than just showing up. Studentsare expected to be active participants in class and demonstrate that they have read andengaged with the readings. Participation also means contributing to a general atmosphere ofscholarly enquiry, showing respect for the opinions of others. Thus talking too much and notallowing other students adequate time to contribute could count against you.

Failure to attend tutes without approved ‘Special Consideration’ (see Student Handbook) willlower your mark (see "The Fine Print" below). Each week, you must fill out a DiscussionPreparation Guide and bring it to your tutorial. It is essential that you also attend or listen to thelectures, since all lectures will contain valuable information that will be used in the tutorials, allassignments and, particularly, the essay exam. You will not be able to successfully completethis unit if you miss multiple lectures.

During the tutorial, points will be awarded for any of the following:

-initiating discussion

-giving information

-asking for information

-raising questions

-restating another’s contribution

-asking for clarification

-giving salient examples

-encouraging others

-relieving group tension

Points will be subtracted for any of the following:

-expression of unsupported opinions

-attempts to dominate discussion

-mocking others

In your verbal contributions to discussions, I will be looking for remarks that engage thoughtfullywith the readings. It is also important that you engage respectfully with your peers. Do not mockanyone’s contributions. If you don’t understand or agree with something someone says, askthem to clarify, or explain respectfully why you disagree. Everyone should feel free to speak up.Please do not drown out quieter voices. If you are having trouble speaking up in classdiscussion, please come to speak with the course convenor privately and together we canstrategise ways to facilitate your contribution.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 4

On successful completion you will be able to:• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

"Illness Narrative" EssayDue: 13 OctoberWeighting: 30%

"Illness Narrative" essay of 1500 words presenting and analyzing the illness experience of aspecific condition within an online community. The essay will integrate primary data derived fromonline communities with ideas from the course. See Unit Handbook for more details.

On successful completion you will be able to:• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 5

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

Mid-Term ExamDue: 13-14 SepWeighting: 25%

A midterm exam (multiple choice and/or short answer) that will be completed on-line. The examwill be administered via iLearn, and will cover the first six weeks of course material. It will be"open book," but bear in mind that I will not be testing your knowledge of simple facts. Rather, Iwill be asking questions that evaluate your mastery of the conceptual material presented in thecourse (e.g., ideas, theories, conceptual models, etc.).

On successful completion you will be able to:• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Final ExamDue: 8-9 NovemberWeighting: 25%

A midterm exam (multiple choice and/or short answer) that will be completed on-line. The examwill be administered via iLearn, and will cover the final six weeks of course material. It will be"open book," but bear in mind that I will not be testing your knowledge of simple facts. Rather, Iwill be asking questions that evaluate your mastery of the conceptual material presented in thecourse (e.g., ideas, theories, conceptual models, etc.).

On successful completion you will be able to:• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 6

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Delivery and ResourcesDETAILS FOR EXTERNAL STUDENTS

External students largely have the same lectures and assignments as internal students. Thereare just a few differences.

Lectures:

The lectures will be one of your primary sources of material for this unit. I bring together a rangeof concepts from various sources, present the central theories and ideas, model anthropologicalthinking, adapt the material to your background, integrate contemporary events, and provide aframework to help make sense of the readings. You will not pass this class if you neglect lecturecontent and focus on the readings and tutorials alone (and vice versa).

Although physical attendance is not required in lecture, I strongly encourage everyone to attendthe lectures in person. And although the ECHO system records most lectures, ECHO has beenknown to fail, and I will not offer notes or repeat lectures due to a system failure. For those of youwho are not External students, the best approach to ensure you master the lecture material is toattend lecture in person. Use the ECHO system only when unavoidable circumstances arise. Iattempt to make lectures as dynamic as possible and interact with students. You will also havethe opportunity to share experiences and ask questions during and after the lecture. Attending inperson is a unique and engaging experience. Moreover, the unit as a whole becomes muchmore engaging if people are actually present for the lectures, and engaged in the discussion.

Assessments: All assessments will be delivered via iLearn (either via online exam, or throughTurnItIn).

Tutorial Attendance & Participation: Tutorial attendance is mandatory. Participation in tutorialsinvolves more than just showing up. We expect students to be active participants anddemonstrate that they have attended/listened to the lecture and have completed the readings

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 7

Unit Schedule

Policies and Procedures

prior to the tutorial for that week. Participation also means contributing to a general atmosphereof scholarly enquiry, showing respect for the opinions of others, and listening well. It is importantthat you learn to engage respectfully with your peers. Do not mock anyone’s contributions. If youdon’t understand or agree with something someone says, ask them to clarify, or explainrespectfully why you disagree. Everyone should feel free to speak up—this forum is designed tohelp you explore the ideas in a more one-on-one setting, clarify misunderstandings orconfusions, and begin the work of integrating the lectures and readings. If you are having troublespeaking up, please come to speak with your tutor or the course convenor privately and togetherwe can strategize ways to facilitate your contribution.

You will complete a Tutorial Discussion Guide before each tutorial and turn in a physical copy ofthis discussion guide at the beginning of class. Please bring two copies—one to turn in, and oneto refer to during discussion. We will not accept emailed copies unless you have a Universityapproved excuse. The discussion guide template is available on iLearn. Use the discussionguide to help you formulate questions and examples to discuss during the tutorial. Make a noteof lecture or reading concepts that you don’t understand or wish to expand upon.

Each discussion guide will receive a mark of ‘+’ or ‘-’. The plus (+) indicates you received fullcredit for attending the tutorial and that you offered insightful comments during the tute andwithin your discussion guide. A ‘-’ indicates that you attended the tute but that your discussionguide and/or participation were inadequate. Discussion guides prepared during the tutorial willreceive no credit. Discussion guides cannot be turned in if you miss the tutorial.

There are 12 tutorials this semester—there is no tutorial on week 1. Of these 12 tutorials, youcan miss two sessions or forget two discussion guides without penalty. Failure to attendadditional tutorials without a medical certificate or another form of ‘unavoidable disruption’ (seeStudent Handbook) will lower your mark or result in failing. If you miss additional tutes beyondyour allotted two without an excuse, your final grade will be reduced in the following manner:

1. First, each of the 10 tutes are worth 1% of your final grade. Thus, missing 5 tutes = 5%reduction.

2. If you miss more than half of the tutes (6 total missed), your final grade will be reduced anadditional 10% (thus, a 58% unit grade can turn into a 48%).

3. If you miss 7 or more tutes I will look at your overall performance and assign a final grade of Por F, depending on your overall performance.

A course outline with details of class schedule and weekly readings has been placed on I-learn.You may refer to this copy.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning andTeaching:

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 8

• Academic Appeals Policy

• Academic Integrity Policy

• Academic Progression Policy

• Assessment Policy

• Fitness to Practice Procedure

• Grade Appeal Policy

• Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public

• Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4

December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for thekey policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of ConductMacquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code ofConduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct

ResultsResults published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or releaseddirectly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by theUniversity. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will bemade available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBAstudent contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

The "Fine Print"1) Mandatory Tutorial Participation and Final Exams

• There are 11 tutes during the semester. The tutes are worth 15% of your final grade.

You are allowed one unexcused absence during the semester without penalty (but

your discussion guide must be submitted to your tutor for credit). After that, missing one

tute will lead to a loss of 1/10th of your total tute grade.

• If you miss more than 5 tutes, your final grade will be reduced an additional 10% (thus, a

58% unit grade can turn into a 48%).

2) Late Submissions Policy

Late submissions on any assignment will incur a penalty, unless the unit convenor has grantedan extension due to an approved “Special Consideration” such as a bona fide medical

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 9

disruption (see Undergraduate Student Handbook).

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, the following willapply:

• A penalty for lateness will apply: two (2) marks out of 100 (or 2%) will be deducted per

day for assignments submitted after the due date

• No assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the

original submission deadline.

No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests. Thisincludes both the midterm and final, which are timed online tests.

3) Additional Policies Regarding Assignments

• Discussion/Reading Guides must be presented within the first 5 minutes of class and you

will lose points if you have not shown yours to the tutor during that first 5 minutes, so

don’t be late to class!

• Failure to attend tutorial when you are scheduled to lead tutorial discussion will result in

no marks for that assessment task, unless you can document absence because of

medical problems or ‘unavoidable disruption,’ have submitted an application for Special

Consideration, and had your application approved. In that case, an alternative

assignment will be determined that is worth an equal weight (10%).

• Midterm and Final Exams are timed online exams. After a predetermined amount of time

(for example, two hours), the exam will close and your responses will be marked. There

is no option of submitting after the exam window has closed, so be mindful of the exam

duration.

Exceeding the word limit

You will be deducted 1 percentage point for each 10 words you exceed the word limit. Pleasetake the word limit very seriously and try to make your argument concisely and clearly. It is unfairto fellow students if one person has much more space to argue their case while another studentsticks firmly to the length guidelines. The word limit is designed to level the essay-writing field, soto speak. You must provide a word count on the cover page when you submit your work. If youfail to provide a word count, you will be deducted 1 percentage point and the assessor willestimate length and mark accordingly. (The word limit excludes end-of-text references but itincludes footnotes and in-text citations.)

No consideration for lost work

It is the student’s responsibility to keep a copy of all written work submitted for each unit. Noconsideration will be given to claims of ‘lost work’, no matter what the circumstances.

Returning assignments

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 10

Student work will usually be marked and returned within three weeks of receipt. Students whohand their work in before the due date will not have it returned early. If you believe that yourassignment has been lost, please contact the Arts Student Centre on the Ground Floor of W6A.Your claim will be logged and tracked in a database of lost assignment claims and kept on file forup to five years.

Written submissions

Students are required to keep copies of all the written work that they submit. In the event thatyou submit it, and it is lost, you will be required to resubmit it. If there is no record of your workbeing submitted and you cannot produce a second copy, it will be impossible for the convenor togive you credit for the assignment.

4) Deadline Extensions and Special Consideration:

The University recognises that at times an event or set of circumstances may occur that:

• Could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student

• AND

• Was beyond the student's control AND

• Caused substantial disruption to the student's capacity for effective study and/or

completion of required work AND

• Substantially interfered with the otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of unit or program

requirements AND

• Was of at least three (3) consecutive days duration within a study period and/or

prevented completion of a formal examination.

In such circumstances, students may apply for Special Consideration. Special Considerationapplications must be supported by evidence to demonstrate the severity of the circumstance(s)and that substantial disruption has been caused to the student's capacity for effective study.

Special Consideration applications must include specific details of how the unavoidabledisruption affected previously satisfactory work by the student.

The University has determined that some circumstances routinely encountered by students arenot acceptable grounds for claiming Special Consideration. These grounds include, but are notlimited, to:

• Routine demands of employment

• Routine family problems such as tension with or between parents, spouses, and other

people closely involved with the student

• Difficulties adjusting to university life, to the self-discipline needed to study effectively,

and the demands of academic work

• Stress or anxiety associated with examinations, required assignments or any aspect of

academic work

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 11

• Routine need for financial support

• Routine demands of sport, clubs and social or extra-curricular activities

Conditions existing prior to commencing a unit of study are not grounds for SpecialConsideration. The student is responsible for managing their workload in light of any known oranticipated problems. The student is responsible for contacting Student Support Services if theyhave a chronic condition.

To request Special Consideration, you must fill out the form found at the following web address:http://www.registrar.mq.edu.au/Forms/APScons.pdf That form and all accompanyingdocumentation must be submitted to the Student Enquiry Service, NOT directly to your UnitConvenor. The Student Enquiry Service will process your application and communicate it to yourUnit Convenor.

For more information, see http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

5) Special Consideration Remedies for Missed Assessments or Assignments:

In cases of approved Special Consideration exemptions, the following remedies shall be applied:

• Remedy for missed discussion section: you will be given credit for attendance,

but you must submit your written discussion guide (along with a copy of your special

consideration approval) to your tutor at the beginning of the next tutorial.

• Remedy for missed midterm or final: you must contact the unit convenor to schedule

a date and time at which the online exam will be reopened. This must be arranged in

advance, and with agreement of the convenor.

• Remedy for missed research paper: You will be expected to submit the finished paper

within one week of the end date of your Special Consideration period.

6) Plagiarism

The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of anotherperson and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rulesand carries significant penalties. You must read the University's definition of plagiarism and itsacademic honesty policy. These can be found in the Handbook of Undergraduate studies or onthe web at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.htm The policies andprocedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in casesof suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty.

Please note that the availability of online materials has made plagiarism easier for students, but ithas also made discovery of plagiarism even easier for convenors of units. We now havespecialized databases that can quickly identify the source of particular phrases in a student’swork, if not original, and evaluate how much is taken from sources in inappropriate ways. Mybest advice to you is to become familiar with the guidelines about plagiarism and then‘quarantine’ the files that you are actually planning on turning in; that is, do not cut and paste

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 12

Student Support

materials directly into any work file that you plan to submit, because it is too easy to later onforget which is your original writing and which has come from other sources.

It’s so easy to avoid plagiarism: all you have to do is make sure you (a) put in quotes any wordstaken from another source, and (b) scrupulously reference all quotes and all statements of fact.No matter what, it’s always better to cite than to use someone else’s words without citation.Look at it this way: if you write your book review based wholly on a Wikipedia article (with nooriginal thinking or other sources) and you reference that Wikipedia article, then you’ll probablyfail the assignment with a grade of somewhere around 30-40%. But if you write your bookreview based wholly on a Wikipedia article and you don’t reference that Wikipedia article, then I’llknow and you’ll fail the assignment with a grade of zero.

In this class I use Turnitin to detect plagiarism and I take it very, very seriously. Plagiarism willresult in a mark of zero for that assignment and, depending on the severity of the plagiarism,may also result in failing the unit and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.

7) Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is an integral part of the core values and principles contained in theMacquarie University Ethics Statement: http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics/ethic-statement-final.html.

Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation,development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

• All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim.

• All academic collaborations are acknowledged.

• Academic work is not falsified in any way

• When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

The link below has more details about the policy, procedure and schedule of penalties that willapply to breaches of the Academic Honesty Policy which can be viewed at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning SkillsLearning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and studystrategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

• Workshops

• StudyWise

• Academic Integrity Module for Students

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 13

Student Enquiry Service

Equity Support

IT Help

Graduate CapabilitiesCritical, Analytical and Integrative ThinkingWe want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrateand synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able tocritique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently andsystemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them tohave a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Ask a Learning Adviser

Academic or personal difficulties

Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of theseservices can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.

Students experiencing academic difficulty should approach the unit convenor in the first instance.On other academic matters you should see the Dean of Students of the University Health andCounselling Service (Ph: 9850 7497/98). On matters pertaining to regulations you should seekinformation from the Registrar or seek advice from the Arts Student Centre.

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provideappropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy.The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 14

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Creative and InnovativeOur graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will beimaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. Wewant them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and InitiativeWe want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and todemonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 15

They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able tohandle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changingenvironments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Discipline Specific Knowledge and SkillsOur graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge,scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make themcompetent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, whererelevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be ableto articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specificknowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinarysolutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 16

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Problem Solving and Research CapabilityOur graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessingdata and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; andthey should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, inorder to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiativein doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 17

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Effective CommunicationWe want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in formseffective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability toread, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess,write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communicationtechnologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 18

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizensAs local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation'shistorical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and withknowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded,sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they shouldhave a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and socialjustice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 19

• Final Exam

Socially and Environmentally Active and ResponsibleWe want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to workwith others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others andcountry; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and activeparticipants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Commitment to Continuous LearningOur graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursueknowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as theyparticipate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationshipswith others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionallyand socially.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 20

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes• Introduce students to the scope of medical anthropology and to analyse and discus the

literature and central theories related to medical anthropology and the broader study of

illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.

• Understand how biology, culture, politics, and ecology interact to shape illness and

health, health systems, and patterns.

• Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing

the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.

• Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own

culture and determinants of illness and health.

• To understand how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine,

and social organization.

• To understand how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular

social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.

• Understand and identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence

generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational

context.

Assessment tasks• Tutorial Participation

• "Illness Narrative" Essay

• Mid-Term Exam

• Final Exam

Detailed Unit DescriptionCulture affects our bodies, our experience, and even what even consider to be health, illness,and disease. This unit is an introduction to medical anthropology and its core theories, methods,and concepts. Throughout the course, we look at conditions of disease as having social as wellas biological origins, and take the position that notions of health and the methods of treatingillness are deeply lodged in cultural frameworks. Thus we treat healing practices, includingbiomedicine, as inevitably predicated on cultural systems of understanding and larger structuresof power. We will consider different notions of disease causality and examine the propositionthat good health, and conversely ill health, is never just about the body or biological causation.How people understand illness and where it comes from, and what they do about it when it doesoccur, tells us a lot about how different societies understand people and their place in the world.

Topics covered will include placebos and the “meaning effect,” the healing efficacy of symbolsand rituals, illness narratives, the relationship between illness and social experience, clinical

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 21

encounters, changing concepts of mental health, culture bound syndromes, the body, andstructural violence and social suffering. Throughout, we will pay close attentions to the way thatclass, gender, and ethnicity shape medical systems and health outcomes. As appliedanthropologists, we will develop a critical perspective on the ways health policies, medicaltechnologies, and interventions address populations and impact health. We will pay particularlyclose attention to ways that growing global economic and technological inequalities contribute tohuman suffering, illness, and disease. We will focus as much on biomedicine and contemporarymedical technologies as on exotic (and exoticising) topics such as witchcraft and ritual, to findthe exotic within our own Western medical systems and the familiar within exotic culturalsystems.

Unit guide ANTH202 Illness and Healing

https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/101761/unit_guide/print 22